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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Candy’ On Hulu, Where Jessica Biel And Melanie Lynskey Star In A Dramatization Of The Candy Montgomery Case

Where to stream:.

Forty-two years after Betty Gore was hacked to death by Candy Montgomery in Wylie, Texas, not one but two limited series based on this extraordinary case will hit our streaming boxes. The first,  Candy , starring Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey, will be rolled out by Hulu over five straight days , like an old-fashioned network miniseries. Does it deserve the special treatment?

CANDY : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: A closeup of a woman making a speech about a tree that died to create the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

The Gist: Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel) seems to have everything together; she and her husband Pat (Timothy Simons) have a solid marriage, two kids, and a nice house in suburban Texas. She’s in the church choir and teaches at the parish’s vacation bible school; the other moms are just amazed at what she can get done.

On the other hand, Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey) can barely hold it together; her 1-year-old daughter keeps crying day and night and she resents the fact that her husband Allan (Pablo Schreiber) has to keep going away on business trips. Candy and Betty’s oldest daughters are best friends, and Betty’s daughter stayed with the Montgomerys the night before June 13, 1980 — Friday the 13th.

Among her flurry of errands, Betty needs to pick up a swimsuit from Betty so Betty’s daughter can do her swim lesson. The next we see Candy, she’s in a daze, driving back to her house; her hair is wet, her glasses are off and she has a massive cut on her head. But she hits the washing machine, gets herself back together and goes about her day. She recites the story about forgetting her wallet and turning around at Target to both the women at the church and to Pat.

Meanwhile, Allan, who’s in St. Paul on his business trip, keeps calling his house and getting no answer. Increasingly worried that Betty has harmed herself and their baby. He calls Candy, who claims ignorance. Finally, late at night, he asks a group of his neighbors to break into the house to see what’s going on. No need to break in; the door is open. One of them opens the door to a small utility room and they see Betty’s blood-soaked body, at least parts of it; it’s too much for any of the men to look at in full. One of the neighbors tell Allan that Betty has been shot. But the truth is so much more violent than that.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The story of Betty Gore’s killing at the hands of Candy Montgomery has been told in a number of true-crime docuseries, like Snapped . Another series about this case,  Love And Death , will debut on HBO Max later this year, with Elizabeth Olsen playing Candy Montgomery.

Our Take: Candy,  created by Robin Veith ( Mad Men ) and Nick Antosca ( The Act ),  Candy  is first out of the gate with the story of how Montgomery killed Gore, and the creators made the interesting choice to start with the day of the killing and then reconstruct what led up to it in subsequent episodes. If you know the story, you’ll see that it adheres pretty closely to the facts of that day.

And, because the case has been in the public eye for over 40 years ( Texas Monthly  did a feature on it way back in 1984), Veith and Antosca don’t pretend to redirect the audience away from Candy as Betty’s killer. By starting with the day itself — but not showing the conflict that made Candy snap and hack Betty to death with an axe — they place the drama firmly in the timeframe leading up to the act and the aftermath.

You get enough glimpses of Betty and Candy, with Biel doing a fine job of putting up Candy’s facade of competence and satisfaction with her life and Lynskey doing her usual best to make Betty as dark and dysfunctional as possible, to think that Betty would be the murderous one. But, as we said, the idea behind this telling of the Montgomery case is how Candy came out of that seemingly mundane visit to Betty’s house and what led to it.

There’s the matter of an affair, born out of boredom with her life, that Candy contends with, and there is also the reasons why the seemingly put-together Candy managed to snap to begin with. Going back to reconstruct all of that will be interesting to watch, especially given the performances of Biel and Lynskey.

Sex and Skin: Candy runs through her house naked as she puts her bloody clothes in the washing machine.

Parting Shot: We pan over pools of blood, until we get to a blood-covered axe, which is the murder weapon.

Sleeper Star: Schreiber amps up the tension as the increasingly worried Allan. Given what we know about the story, we’re looking forward to seeing his intensity as Allan’s involvement with Candy is examined during the series.

Most Pilot-y Line: Simons is always great as a clueless goof, but he seems especially clueless here, especially when he says silly things to his son like “Those on the Dark Side don’t use their utensils.” (They’re going to go see  The Empire Strikes Back , you see.)

Will you stream or skip the star-studded limited series #CandyOnHulu on @hulu ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) May 10, 2022

Our Call: STREAM IT.  Candy makes a good case that more true-crime dramas should be about the lead up and the aftermath of an event, not the event itself. After all, you can look up every detail about the case online, right?

Joel Keller ( @joelkeller ) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com , VanityFair.com , Fast Company and elsewhere.

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Candy Leaves a Sour Aftertaste

Candy is soundtracked by exasperated sighs. This five-episode Hulu miniseries about the gruesome 1978 axe murder of Betty Gore ( Melanie Lynskey ) and the involvement of her former friend Candace “Candy” Montgomery (Jessica Biel) in the crime coalesces around the sounds of the women’s dissatisfaction. In their flares and pageboy haircuts, these women are exhausted by their demanding children, irritated with their unfulfilling husbands, frustrated by the judgmental atmosphere of their small Texas town — and ultimately wary and suspicious of each other. But these characters are outlines with little filler, and the connective tissue between them and the surrounding community is missing. A broader observation about the reverberations and ramifications of this violence doesn’t materialize, and in its absence it creates a kind of anticlimax. Like those sighs, Candy feels evanescent, even weightless.

Created by Robin Veith and Nick Antosca, who previously worked together on The Act , Candy tells a similarly twisty story about hidden identities and the thin line between love and rage. Although not officially based on the book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs — which was optioned by HBO Max for Love and Death , 2022’s other limited series about this crime — Candy follows most of the broad beats recounted within Jim Atkinson and John Bloom’s 1983 true-crime classic: Vivacious housewife Candy Montgomery, bored after a decade of marriage to blandly nice Pat ( Timothy Simons ), decides to have an affair. Her target is fellow churchgoer and volleyball teammate Allan Gore ( Pablo Schreiber ), who is in a struggling, nearly lifeless marriage of his own to the matronly Betty. Betty is then killed in a horrifying way, and the town wants to believe that a drifter is responsible. No way someone they know could take an axe to this woman 41 times, chopping off half her face and leaving her infant daughter screaming in the next bedroom over. Could they?

That’s the story, and that’s basically how Candy , which premieres today on Hulu and drops a new episode each day until May 13, tells it. There’s no narrative twistiness here and no real obfuscation in terms of who is guilty. That isn’t to say that manufactured mystery is required for true crime, but what Candy lacks is a sense of why this story and why now . What does this incident tell us about the criminal-justice system and how it treats criminals of a certain race, gender, and social class? About the closed-ranks nature of the American South? About being a woman in America, aside from the fact that men can be trash and children can be a nuisance? That latter question is alluded to a bit in the series’ presentation of Candy’s and Betty’s domestic lives, but any sort of insight about the challenges of womanhood then versus now is absent.

Excerpts of Evidence of Love are available to read online , but doing so only delineates everything that Candy didn’t work into its character development or dialogue, world-building details that might have helped the series be more enveloping. Betty was a teacher before leaving that job to tend to her growing family; for how long did she struggle with what seems like agoraphobia and paranoia? Did Candy always want to be a housewife, or did her sense of adventure get tamped down at some point? How did Candy and Pat, and Allan and Betty, meet and fall in love? Candy boasts often of having the “best party house,” while numerous establishing shots show the Gores’ modest one-level rancher. Was there friction between the couples’ social status that worked its way into their relationship dynamics? In the weeks or months between when Candy was arrested and when she faced trial, what did she go through? How did the community interact with her family or with Betty’s survivors? Candy is so cut-and-dry in its linear movement from affair to murder to court that it denies viewers the context and texture needed to make this world feel established and lived-in. Placing us alongside Candy for the killing might be the series’ attempt to invite viewers behind a literal closed door, but the blood-drenched sequence is so staggeringly grotesque that it’s more repellant than immersive.

The framing of Candy is such a disappointment because Biel and Lynskey both do good work within it. Through the premiere’s desaturated color palette, odd angles, and a passing reference to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining , director Michael Uppendahl establishes a pervasive dread, which is supported by the actresses’ contrasting performances. Biel has reinvented herself in this genre after the success of The Sinner , and she well conveys Candy’s breezy friendliness with an undercurrent of inauthenticity. The miniseries opens with a fourth-wall-breaking monologue from her character that is both Christian parable and self-aggrandizement, and her cool confidence while practicing a story about how second chances are for getting what you really want is an introduction to her layers of self-justification. A scene in which she’s showering Betty’s blood off herself and raises her hands toward the ceiling as if in prayer might be the series’s most unsettling.

Lynskey, meanwhile, makes Betty a kind of humanized Eeyore: a woman so sour and dour that it’s impossible to tell whether she loves her children or despises them, but whose girlishness comes through when her husband pays attention to her. Biel’s wide smile and the airy, sunny openness of her home contrasts well with Lynskey’s persistent frown and perpetually drawn curtains, and the series’ other production-design and costuming elements underscore how the women’s accessories and aesthetics set them in opposition to each other.

What’s odd, though, is how firmly the series aligns itself with Candy’s perspective and how it fails to interrogate her eventual explanation for what happened in the Gore home that Friday the 13th. There are standalone scenes for Lynskey as Betty throughout so that we can see her sternness with her children and the way she pleads with Allan to recommit himself to his marriage, but by the final episode, we don’t get any sense of how much Betty knew about Candy and Allan, how she would have reacted to Candy parenting her daughter, and what she could have said to Candy when the woman waltzed into her home. There isn’t much illumination of interiority here on Betty’s part compared with Candy, and historically, that’s all the jury got too. Candy got to present her side of the story, and there was no other.

The Staircase , HBO Max’s currently airing true-crime series about the death of Kathleen Peterson, achieves an inner life for its victim with myriad flashbacks to Toni Collette’s character at work, at home, at the gym, with her children, and with her friends — locations and situations that give Collette the space to work through her secrets, desires, ambitions, and regrets. If the supernatural and self-aware elements that Candy tosses into its finale as our last impression of Lynskey’s Betty were incorporated throughout the series, as The Staircase does with its memories of Kathleen, perhaps Candy would have also felt like it honored this woman and her life rather than solely gawking at her death. But a few sparse intertitles don’t provide an update on what happened to Betty’s parents or her children, nor do they provide much closure. Instead, Candy ends with the sense that it used Betty too, revictimizing her and flattening her for its purposes. “I’m the mother of your children, but that’s not all I am,” Betty says to Allan, but Candy makes clear whose story it’s more interested in telling through its name alone.

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Candy Montgomery is a 1980s housewife and mother who did everything right. When the pressure of conformity builds within, her actions scream for just a bit of freedom--until someone tells he... Read all Candy Montgomery is a 1980s housewife and mother who did everything right. When the pressure of conformity builds within, her actions scream for just a bit of freedom--until someone tells her to shush--with deadly results. Candy Montgomery is a 1980s housewife and mother who did everything right. When the pressure of conformity builds within, her actions scream for just a bit of freedom--until someone tells her to shush--with deadly results.

• Nick Antosca
• Robin Veith
• Jessica Biel
• Melanie Lynskey
• Pablo Schreiber
• 174 User reviews
• 24 Critic reviews
• 9 nominations total

Top cast 58

• Candy Montgomery

• Pat Montgomery

• Don Crowder

• Sherry Cleckler

• Sandra Lockett …

• Becky Montgomery

• Jason Montgomery

• Christina Gore

• Jeffery Lockett …

• Robert Udashen

• Lester Gayler
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• Trivia Both Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey's husbands have roles in the series. Justin Timberlake and Jason Ritter play police officers.
• Connections Featured in MsMojo: Top 10 True Crime Shows with the Most Disturbing Backstories (2024)

User reviews 174

• May 12, 2022
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• May 9, 2022 (United States)
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• Disney+ Hotstar
• Decatur, Georgia, USA
• 20th Television
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• Iron Ocean Films
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‘Candy’ clarifies why two housewives were unhappy, and why one chopped up the other

Jessica biel stars in hulu series as the cheater and eventual killer, with melanie lynskey as her depressed victim, and both actors bring nuance to their roles..

Jessica Biel plays the title role in “Candy,” an upbeat wife and mother who feels secretly stifled.

The agent/actor discussion must go something like this:

Agent: It’s a great part.

Actor: My character gets killed in the first episode!

Agent: True. But wait until you see the FLASHBACKS.

The flashbacks. That’s when these true-crime limited series bring the victims back to life, so we can see them as more than blood-covered bodies lying on the floor of their homes. We can understand how they lived, loved, laughed—and what led to someone very close to them allegedly taking their life.

Such was the case with Daisy Edgar-Jones as a murdered mother and wife in “Under the Banner of Heaven,” and with Toni Collette as a murdered mother and wife in “The Staircase,” and now with Melanie Lynskey as a murdered mother and wife in the Hulu five-part series “Candy,” with the premiere episode dropping Monday. The three tremendously talented actors deliver pivotal performances in their respective series, as they bring a good measure of respect and dignity to the memories of the real-life individuals they’re playing.

“Candy” is the first of two limited series coming out in 2022 interpreting the true story of Texas housewife Candy Montgomery killing her friend and neighbor Betty Gore in 1980. Elizabeth Olsen will play Candy and Lily Rabe is Betty in David E. Kelley’s adaptation, coming later this year to HBO Max.

In the Hulu series, Jessica Biel is the beautiful and popular and upbeat Candy, who on the surface seems to have it all, while Lynskey plays the depressed, socially awkward, deeply needy and resentful Betty, who never fits in with the other housewives at church gatherings and backyard barbecues, who is overwhelmed by motherhood and who comes close to having a breakdown every time her husband Alan (Pablo Schreiber) has to leave town for a few days. It’s a beautifully nuanced performance.

Although “Candy” devotes the majority of screen time to telling events from the title character’s point of view, Lynskey gives Betty a memorable and constant presence, whether she’s a ghostly figure of conscience staring down Candy in the courtroom, or we see her in a flashback sequence in which she feels so alone and so incapable of dealing with stress that she fires up the vacuum cleaner just to drown out the crying of her newborn baby. Betty was clearly depressed and in need of help and she never got it, and through Lynskey’s performance, we find that tragic and heartbreaking.

Needy, overwhelmed Betty (Melanie Lynskey) panics whenever husband Alan (Pablo Schreiber) goes out of town.

Biel is nearly unrecognizable beneath the curls and the oversized, period-piece glasses as she turns in equally fine work as Candy, who dotes on her affable albeit perpetually distracted and borderline goofy husband Pat (Timothy Simons) and always seems to be organizing some sort of activity involving her church or her children or both. On the surface, Candy is the epitome of the happy suburban mom of the early 1980s, but she feels stifled and smothered, and she decides she’ll have an affair with … somebody. She eventually targets Alan Gore, the tightly wound husband of Betty, and no, it doesn’t bother Candy in the slightest that their kids play together, and that Candy is supposed to be a friend to Betty. She needs these afternoon trysts in a cheap motel. She needs to feel alive again.

Filmed in saturated colors to reflect the time period, with the production design perfectly capturing the wood-paneled, macrame-friendly, shag carpet look of suburban houses and offices of 1980, “Candy” features a number of memorably tense sequences, e.g., when Alan is in his hotel room on a business trip and he can’t get Betty on the phone and you can see the sense of dread enveloping his very being, as three neighbor men (two armed with guns, because Texas) check on Betty at Alan’s request and eventually find Betty’s blood-soaked body. The crime scene is so gruesome, their first reaction is Betty had been shot—but it’s soon determined someone had attacked her with an ax, leaving some 41 wounds on her.

Timothy Simons (left, with young Antonella Rose and Aven Lotz) plays Candy’s affable husband, Pat.

Candy is the last person to see Betty alive and, as such, is helpful and cooperative with the police. At first, authorities believe some unhinged drifter must have broken into the house and attacked Betty, but that theory is quickly shoved aside as it becomes increasingly apparent Candy was the attacker. After some early attempts to cover up the crime and provide a weak alibi, Candy comes clean and freely admits she was the one who killed Betty, but it was self-defense.

With an ax. Forty-one times.

“Candy” becomes a courtroom procedural in the later episodes, but it remains a fascinating psychological character study throughout. We’re appalled by Candy’s actions and convinced she’s a borderline sociopath; even as all the details of her affairs and her attack on Betty are revealed during the trial, she speaks of wanting to put this all behind her so everything can go back to being normal. Timothy Simons goes beyond his usual unlikable wonk persona in his portrayal of Candy’s husband Pat, a good guy who puts up with his wife’s madness because he truly loves her—but even Pat has his breaking point. When he finally unloads on Candy and calls her out, he’s speaking for all of us.

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“Candy” inspires contradictory feelings. On the one hand, it’s a lot better than you might expect, with scenes and lines of high comedy. On the other hand, it lacks the pure anarchy, the abandon, of Terry Southern’s novel. There’s something wacky about using restraint in a satire on pornography.

Still, “Candy” avoids some obvious hazards. When you look at the cast — Burton, Brando, Ringo, Matthau, Coburn and everybody — you dread it’ll turn out to be another “ Casino Royale ” (1967) with lots of names mugging the camera and then disappearing into the void.

That doesn’t happen, except with Ringo, who didn’t get much of a role. The others are allowed time to build up characterizations, and they do a pretty good job. Richard Burton is especially effective as McPhisto, a sort of Welsh metaphysical who always has the wind blowing in his hair even when it isn’t blowing in anyone else’s.

The plot is fairly simple, and (as the ads say) it’s more or less faithful to the book. Candy ( Ewa Aulin ) caroms from one man to another like a nympho in a pinball machine, and the characters she encounters are improbable enough to establish Terry Southern’s boredom with the conventions of pornography.

Walter Matthau has the best sequence, as a right-wing general who has been flying around for years with a handpicked group of zombies. James Coburn does his “Our Man Flint” routine as a doctor this time, keeping his cool while performing a particularly ghoulish operation on Candy’s father. Brando isn’t very successful as a guru who travels around in a trailer truck. But the idea is good.

There are also some good things in the script by Buck Henry , who wrote “ The Graduate ” and is the latest author to struggle with the screenplay of “ Catch-22 .” A lot of Henry’s lines are lost in the general confusion, but there’s a very nice little bit involving an underground filmmaker who records thousands of people saying “no.”

One who doesn’t, of course, is Candy, and the real discovery of this movie is Ewa Aulin. She is fetchingly healthy, unaffected, charming. Her task is essentially to stand around wide-eyed and naive, but she does that with composure enough to suggest she might make a sexpot-comedienne combination on the order of Stella Stevens or even Marilyn Monroe.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Walter Matthau as Gen. Smight
• Marlon Brando as Grindl
• John Huston as Dr. Dunlap
• Ewa Aulin as Candy
• Richard Burton as McPhisto
• Ringo Starr as Emmanuel
• Charles Aznavour as Hunchback
• John Astin as Daddy and Uncle Jack
• James Coburn as Dr. Krankeit

From a screenplay by

Directed by.

• Christian Marquand

Photographed by

• Giuseppe Rotunno

Produced by

• Robert Haggiag

Based on the novel by

• Terry Southern

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Blink Twice and fans take a chance on missing the “pure horror” and “striking visuals,” which some critics are praising about the film that registers 78% on the Tomatometer against 138 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, at the time of this writing. Conversely, other professional writers are warning audiences against wasting their hard-earned money on director Zoë Kravitz and real-life fiancé Channing Tatum’s new psychological thriller. MovieWeb’s own Will Sayre scores Blink Twice 3 out of 5 and writes in his review:

“Seeing Tatum go to very dark places is perhaps engrossing enough to fill the respective seats this weekend, even when Blink Twice's twists go a bit off the rails in the outrageous second and third acts. If nothing else, Kravitz's directorial effort will certainly provoke some conversations, and reveals her stylish eye.”

Rue Morgue’s Michael Gingold is one of those who thoroughly enjoyed Blink Twice , and he says in his review:

Not only is it a distinctive and gripping thriller that slowly but sure builds to pure horror, it’s a striking directorial debut for actress Zoë Kravitz that points the way toward a major second career for her.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Richard Roeper also praised the film and gave Blink Twice a score of 3.5 out of 4. Roeper writes in his assessment of the psychological thriller, which couldn’t even break the $1-million mark ($820,000), according to The Numbers, during its preview screenings on Thursday, August 22:

Striking visuals, smart dialogue distinguish actor's gonzo directorial debut starring Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum.

Blink Twice

Directed by Zoë Kravitz, Blink Twice is a drama thriller film, marking her first foray into the world of directing. The film follows a cocktail waitress invited to a tech billionaire's private resort home to party with them - but after arriving, she begins to discover the dark truth behind the island.

PEOPLE’s Tom Gliatto adds:

It’s a wild, weird horror ride that borders on fairy-tale nightmare and maybe even biblical allegory.

Blink Twice is facing an uphill battle this weekend. Films like Alien: Romulus, Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends with Us could make life at the box office hard on not only Kravitz’s directorial debut, but also where newcomers The Crow ($650,000) and The Forge ($600,000) are concerned. Like Blink Twice, both struggled during their advance screenings. However, Kravitz and Tatum's collaboration still has to overcome some rather scathing reviews if it wants to succeed theatrically.

Blink Twice Has Some Naysayers to Face

Last weekend’s No. 1 Alien: Romulus could very well repeat as the top dog at the box office given the trio of poor-performing films it will compete with during the waning weeks of the 2024 summer movie season. And while the majority of Blink Twice’s reviews are largely positive, there are those critics who didn’t have a taste for the psychological thriller. Ross McIndoe of Slant Magazine writes:

“Blink Twice clearly has thoughts about the danger that men can pose , and the way women are forced to perform happiness while in the company of such predators, but it never provides more than a surface-level understanding of such dynamics.”

Odie Henderson of the Boston Globe was particularly harsh on Blink Twice, and he only awarded Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut a score of 1.5 out of 4. Henderson says:

Blink Twice may be aiming for a feminist statement, but it’s ultimately just a slasher movie with a bunch of one-dimensional Final Girls played by Alia Shawkat, Trew Mullen, Liz Caribel, and Hit Man’s Adria Arjona.

It Ends with Us Drama Doesn't Stop It from Reaching an Impressive Milestone

Blake Lively’s rom-dram continues to impress at the box office even though it’s up against some of the summer’s biggest hits.

Ty Burr of the Washington Post couldn’t help but disparage Blink Twice in his review with a rather backhanded compliment and a score of only 2 out of 4. Burr writes:

In sum, the movie’s a passable time-waster, but it might be better if we just forgot the whole thing.

Blink Twice could easily get lost in the final two-week summer shuffle given its mixed reviews and poor performance during its preview screenings. And the likelihood of it achieving the same $100-million milestone that Longlegs and It Ends with Us — two lower budget films stacked up against the blockbusters — did is highly unlikely when crunching the current numbers and divisive critiques.

Blink Twice is now playing in theaters.

• Rotten Tomatoes
• Channing Tatum

This new to Netflix movie has a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes — and it deserves every percent

‘The First Slam Dunk’ is one of the best movies on Netflix

When I’m combing through the new movies on Netflix each month, I’m always on the lookout for flicks with a high score on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. It’s not a flawless metric for determining the quality of a movie — quality is subjective after all — but when Netflix adds a flick to its library that manages a rare perfect rating, I take note. 

When I heard that “The First Slam Dunk” was being added to Netflix this weekend (on Sunday, August 25) I was especially pleased as this animated sports movie not only earned critical acclaim, but it’s also one of my favorite entries in the genre. And that’s very strong praise considering it’s a basketball movie, and I know very little about the actual sport. 

I suspect that “The First Slam Dunk” might not get the attention it deserves even after landing on one of the best streaming services because of its seemingly niche nature, but here’s why you should consider adding this fantastic sports drama to your watchlist…

What is ‘The First Slam Dunk’ about? 

Based on a popular Japanese manga, “The First Slam Dunk” is a sports anime from direct Takehiko Inoue. It centers on Ryouta Miyagi, a member of the Shokoku High School basketball team, who is grappling with the loss of his elder brother, who also shared a passion for the sport. 

Ryouta plays as the team’s point guard and is known for not just his speed on the court, but also his game intelligence that makes him a vital part of the squad. However, while the Shokoku High School team is plucky, they are very much the underdog, and as they get ready to compete in the Inter-High School National Championship they will face an uphill battle to beat the reigning champions, the all-conquering Sannoh Kogyo High School. 

However, while “The First Slam Dunk” has plenty to offer basketball fans, it’s about more than just lay-ups and three-pointers. There’s an emotional core to this fantastic movie as Ryota struggles with the weight of his brother’s expectations, and reflects on the question of self-worth and finding a true purpose in life beyond just throwing a ball into a net. 

‘The First Slam Dunk’ reviews — critics adored this movie

This new to Netflix movie has managed a feat even more impressive than pulling off a flashy slam dunk: It holds a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes . “The First Slam Dunk” is a rare movie with a 100% rating, and that comes from more than 40 reviews as well. So, the sample size isn’t exactly small, which is often the case with 100% ratings on RT. 

Esther Rosenfield of Little White Lies labeled the movie “a total slam dunk” (well somebody had to use that one-liner!). Meanwhile, Calum Marsh of the New York Times praised the anime for being “a great basketball movie because it understands what’s great about basketball.”

IndieWire ’s David Ehrlich was similarly enthusiastic about this sports drama. “No movie has so literally reduced basketball to “just a game,” and no movie this side of Hoop Dreams has so ecstatically conveyed why it’s also so much more than that,” said Ehrlich in their review. 

Ross McIndoe of Slant Magazine also joined the chorus of critics eager to praise the movie, saying “‘The First Slam Dunk’ is able to throw a relentless series of new gambits, twists, and reversals at the screen that will keep even seasoned sports film fans on the edge of their seat.”

I should also point out that it’s not just professional reviewers who thought “The First Slam Dunk” was something very special. The movie holds a 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is almost as impressive as its critics rating. 

Stream ‘The First Slam Dunk’ on Netflix right now

The sports genre can be pretty repetitive, with many of the movies within the category following a similar narrative structure and featuring cookie-cutter characters. While I won’t pretend “The First Slam Dunk” doesn’t fall into some of these cliches, the fact it’s still so compelling despite its unoriginal aspects is a testament to its quality. 

Even if you don’t care about basketball much at all, you’ll still find yourself engrossed in the team’s journey, and you’ll especially come to love Ryota and want to see him achieve his goals, and figure out his place in the world. Between the inherent drama found in sports and the strong character work, there is a heck of a lot to like about “The First Slam Dunk.” 

I expect that some Netflix subscribers may instantly dismiss this movie because it’s an anime, but I implore you to give it a chance, even if you’re not typically an anime watcher. This drama breaks from the traditional mold and has a boarder appeal than much of the movies and TV shows within the category. 

“The First Slam Dunk” is a Netflix movie that I hope plenty of subscribers check out, but if you’re not convinced it’s for you, then why not check out this star-studded crime drama that is about to leave the service or one of the year’s best detective shows . 

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Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

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15 Best John Candy Movies Ranked

The world lost a giant when John Candy passed away in 1994, from a heart attack at the age of 43. In his all-too-brief life, the Canadian-born funnyman created a body of work that continues to endear him to new generations of fans.

Candy first came to fame with "SCTV," the Canadian alternative to " Saturday Night Live " that also launched the careers of Catherine O'Hara , Eugene Levy , Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis , Dave Thomas, Harold Ramis , and Martin Short . The sketch show brought Candy two consecutive Emmys for writing in 1982 and 1983.

Movie fans remember him best for his collaborations with John Hughes, with whom he made seven films. Hughes gave the actor some of his best roles, playing into his persona as a lovable lout with a heart as big as his smile. Candy could do it all, from the sublime to slapstick, and he proved it in one hit comedy after another throughout the '80s and early '90s.

Unfortunately, we'll never know how many more classic funny moments Candy could have provided us with had his life not been cut short (is there any doubt he would have had at least a cameo on " Schitt's Creek "?). Thankfully, he left behind a rich filmography to remember him by. Here's a look back at John Candy's 16 best movies, ranked in order from worst to best.

15. Canadian Bacon (1995)

Although it was filmed before "Wagons East!," "Canadian Bacon" was Candy's last released film. It's a nominally better swan song (there are some funny bits observing the differences between Americans and their Canadian neighbors), it's still remembered as a stinker with a 13% Rotten Tomatoes rating .

The first and only fictional script penned by documentarian Michael Moore, it's a political satire starring Alan Alda as a wildly unpopular US President who boosts his approval ratings by starting a Cold War with Canada. Candy played Sheriff Bud Boomer, who kicked off the conflict by criticizing Canadian beer at a hockey game in Ontario. Things spiral out of control, and soon Bud and his pals begin taking the conflict a little too seriously, leading to a full-on battle with our neighbors to the north.

All of this is mounted with the subtlety of a "Saturday Night Live" sketch, which would be fine at about five minutes or so. But stretched out to feature length, jokes about the differences between Canadians and Americans can wear a little thin.

14. Brewster's Millions (1985)

You'd think the pairing of Candy and Richard Pryor would mine comedic gold. Unfortunately, "Brewster's Millions" somehow managed to bounce that check. Not that it's completely without laughs; after all, any movie featuring two comedy's legends is bound to have some chuckles.

Directed by Walter Hill, it's the seventh(!) cinematic adaptation of George Barr McCutcheon's 1902 novel about a man who must spend a fortune in order to inherit one. Pryor played Montgomery Brewster, a minor league baseball player who would receive $300 million from his late great-uncle if he can somehow spend $30 million in 30 days. Shouldn't be too difficult, right? Well, that's where the jokes come in.

Candy plays his best friend (and battery mate) Spike Nolan, perpetually perplexed by his buddy's spending habits (one caveat of the deal is Brewster can't tell anyone about it). Although reviews at the time noted that most of the comedy is oddly muted, the film really comes alive when the two leads are sharing scenes and swapping punchlines. Candy always had a knack for playing off his co-stars, and he turned out to be a great counterpoint for Pryor's larger-than-life antics.

13. The Great Outdoors (1988)

"The Great Outdoors" tells a story you've seen several times before: An uptight city slicker retreats to nature, only to be rudely interrupted by an obnoxious nincompoop. But what's notable here is that the roles are reversed, with Candy playing the tightly-wound guy and Dan Aykroyd starring as his off-putting counterpart. Everything else, however, is pretty standard stuff (as critics at the time pointed out ).

Written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, "Outdoors" starred Candy as a Chicago businessman looking to unwind in the country with his wife (Stephanie Faracy) and sons (Chris Young and Ian Michael Giatti). But their weekend getaway was upended by the arrival of Connie's sister (Annette Bening, in her film debut), her dopey husband (Aykroyd), and their twin daughters (Hilary Gordon and Rebecca Gordon).

While it's great fun to look back today and see Candy play against his usual comedic persona opposite fellow Canadian Aykroyd, the gags are as tired as a weary camper.

12. Spaceballs (1987)

Released four years after " Return of the Jedi " looked like it had wrapped up the Star Wars movies for good, "Spaceballs" was met with derision  from critics , even if some pop culture demos came to adore it. In the time since its 1987 release, the Mel Brooks flick's cult following has only grown — and looked even more clairvoyant in its depiction of a film franchise eager to slap its name on sequels, prequels, TV shows, specials, lunch boxes, toilet paper, yogurt and anything else it can merchandise.

Spoof-meister Brooks pulled out all the stops sending up the most successful franchise in movie history, centering the story on a Han Solo-knockoff named Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half-dog, half-man sidekick Barf (Candy). Daphne Zuniga played the beautiful Princess Vespa, who had to be saved from the evil Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis). Brooks himself pulled double role as President Skroob, ruler of the evil planet Spaceballs, and as the wise sage Yogurt. Please, please don't make a fuss — he's just plain Yogurt.

Star Wars fans can still get some solid chuckles in the many riffs on the original series, from the evil Pizza the Hutt to greetings of "May the Schwartz be with you." Candy was a hoot as the friendly man-dog (or "mog," for short), who, by his own admission, is "my own best friend."

11. The Blues Brothers (1980)

Arguably the best "Saturday Night Live"-inspired film ever made, "The Blues Brothers" also featured one of Candy's first cinematic performances.

The main show here, obviously, was the brothers Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) Blues. Fresh out of prison, the duo are determined to get their band back together — but the plot is little more than a vehicle for big musical numbers, bigger car chases and memorable comedy bits, all of which are mounted with impressive skill by director John Landis.

There's also a ton of iconic cameos, most notably from music legends like Ray Charles, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. Candy has a relatively small role as Burton Mercer, a parole officer chasing the brothers as they race around the country in a dilapidated police car on their "mission from God." 

Catching up to the Brothers Blues at one of their gigs, Candy delivered his first of many instantly-quotable movie lines when he ordered orange whips for his fellow officers . According to cinematic legend, the movie's set designer was related to someone who worked for the company that made the beverage, causing Candy and Landis to put the now-defunct beverage in the film (although if you ask most bartenders, they can whip you up an alternative with rum, vodka and orange juice).

Between the beverages, the sunglasses and a spectacular chase sequence, it all ends with Candy's car flying into a semi, causing Candy's character to famously pick up the police radio and report: "Hi, this is car 55.  We're in a truck ."

10. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Among the many great pleasures of Frank Oz's remake of "Little Shop of Horrors" are the cameo appearances by prominent '80s comedians (including Jim Belushi, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray). So you'd better believe Candy would pop up at some point, and as was often the case, he made a giant impression, even with limited screen time.

Rick Moranis starred in the film as Seymour Krelborn, a nerdy florist shooting to stardom thanks to a giant singing plant with a taste for human flesh named Audrey II (voiced by Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops). As part of his media tour, he appeared alongside his talking fly trap on "Weird World," a radio program hosted by Wink Wilkinson (Candy). 

Candy clearly had a lot of fun affecting the style of a 1960s disc jockey, from his pompadour hairdo to the various sound effects that rolled effortlessly off his tongue. It's also a hoot watching Candy playing opposite his fellow "SCTV" alum Moranis, with whom he'd later reunite on "Spaceballs."

9. Home Alone (1990)

Everyone remembers this holiday classic for the various tortures little Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) inflicted on two burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) trying to break into his house while his family was away for Christmas. But this being a John Hughes movie, it was inevitable that Candy would pop up at some point, no matter how briefly.

Realizing she's left her youngest child home alone, frazzled mother Kate (Catherine O'Hara) cut short a Paris vacation to return to Chicago. In a key scene, she's stuck in Scranton, where nice guy polka king Gus Polinski (Candy) offered her a ride — the cameo undoubtedly engineered as a subtle nod to the Schmenge brothers , "SCTV" polka characters played by Candy and Eugene Levy who even starred in their own very funny HBO movie, " The Last Polka ." 

Not only did Candy improvise all his own lines opposite his former "SCTV" co-star O'Hara, but he filmed his entire sequence in just one day (and for very little money , at that).

8. Cool Runnings (1993)

It's almost contractually obligatory that a popular actor play an inspirational coach or teacher at some point (just ask Samuel L. Jackson , Michelle Pfeiffer , Hilary Swank , Keanu Reeves or Antonio Banderas   — for starters), and Candy took his turn when he branched out with "Cool Runnings." Sure, it's a Disney film inspired by a true story, but it's certainly more dramatic than, say "Who's Harry Crumb?" The film was a surprise hit at the box office, but its reputation really grew on home video, with lots of viewers discovering it on VHS.

Candy was cast in the fictionalized role of Irving "Irv" Blitzer, a disgraced former Olympian searching for a chance at redemption. The character would find it coaching a ragtag group of Jamaican bobsledders — so unsuited for the event that they had to practice on wheels in their warm climate.

Despite the well-worn cinematic trappings of the role, Candy won audiences over with his warmth, humor, and bravado. As Roger Ebert said in his review , he "has a couple of stirring speeches that he somehow delivers as if every word were not recycled from other films." It takes a special kind of actor to make you feel like you're hearing a coach's inspirational oration for the very first time — and Candy certainly had a knack for finding golden moments in the most unlikely places.

7. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

The first entry in National Lampoon's "Vacation" series still serves as a cautionary tale for anyone planning a family road trip — and it's seemingly impossible for any dad to pull into an amusement park, kids in tow, and not say something like "Here we are kids. Wally World!". 

In this comedy classic, inept-but-well-meaning suburban dad Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) dragged his family across the country to the California amusement park, with everything going wrong at every turn. But the promise of sunshine and fun kept the wood-paneled family station wagon pressing on — even if it did have the words "honky lips" spray-painted on its side and a dead grandma tied to the roof.

When the Griswolds finally arrived, they were greeted by an empty parking lot and the friendly face of security guard Lasky (Candy), who memorably informed them ( in another classic Candy line ) that the moose out front should have told them the park is closed for repairs. Needless to say, Clark did not take the news well, taking Lasky hostage ("We're not really violent people, this is our first gun") so they could go on the rides.

Candy's role was actually a last minute addition when the film's original ending tested poorly. Director Harold Ramis called in a favor from his former "SCTV" alum, and we're all better off for it. This also kicked off a longtime collaboration between the actor and Hughes, who penned the script.

6. JFK (1991)

Candy didn't get too many chances to stretch his dramatic acting muscles, but he seemed to be getting more interested in them as his career progressed. A brief appearance in Oliver Stone's paranoia panorama "JFK" gave audiences a brief glimpse at the kind of serious performances he was capable of. 

Appearing in the film as Dean Andrews, one of several colorful characters encountered by New Orleans D.A. Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) during his investigation into the assassination of President Kennedy, Candy played a fast talking, crab-swilling lawyer with a few dirty secrets about local businessman Clay Shaw (Tommy Lee Jones), who may or may not have been involved in the assassination. Sweating through his white suit as Garrison pressed him for information, he unraveled another layer of the onion around Shaw and his cohorts David Ferrie (Joe Pesci) and Guy Bannister (Ed Asner), allegedly involved in the CIA's plot to lay the blame entirely on Lee Harvey Oswald (Gary Oldman).

You can certainly nitpick the facts of Stone's film (and several critics at the time did ), but there's little denying three things: The film was hugely entertaining, gave birth to a wave of conspiracy-fueled alternative-fact narratives that is still felt today, and included another vibrant Candy performance.

5. Stripes (1981)

One of the original men behaving badly comedies, "Stripes" was the most raucously funny military satire since Robert Altman's "M*A*S*H" (1970). It was also a great early showcase for Candy, who at times stole the show from Bill Murray — which is no easy feat.

The premise: Murray was cast as a Kentucky cabbie tired of his humdrum life. Deciding to shake things up by joining the Army, he convinced his English teacher buddy (Harold Ramis) to come along with him. But upon arrival at boot camp, they run afoul of the drill sergeant (Warren Oats) and hilarity ensues.

Candy showed up as a sweet natured recruit named Dewey Oxberger ("Ox" for short). His most memorable scene is when the boys sneak away to take in a little mud wrestling, with Ox getting into the ring with four ladies, all of whom end up losing their tops. It's a hilarious sequence that showcases Candy's knack for physical comedy — who, much like Chris Farley and John Belushi, had amazing physical comedy chops for their size.

4. Uncle Buck (1989)

Candy became as important a muse to John Hughes throughout the 1980s as Molly Ringwald, earning increasingly juicier roles in his films. That culminated with the vehicle "Uncle Buck," an oftentimes crude family comedy made heartwarming by its leading man's charms.

Candy's Buck was a lifelong bachelor spending his days eating junk food and betting on horses. Tasked with looking after his brother's three kids, the cigar-chomping, beer-drinking, bowling ball-toting Buck needs to grow up fast — or at the very least, find middle ground with the children. 

Thanks to Candy's endearing screen presence, you almost don't care that the script offers little surprises. Chasing down boyfriends, chewing out sour-pussed school administrators, dodging the advances of randy neighborhood housewives, Candy made instantly-classic scenes out of material that it's nearly impossible to imagine most other actors being able to do anything with. Which is perhaps why they've tried to make "Uncle Buck" into a TV show twice, and keep failing miserably.

3. Only the Lonely (1991)

It's little surprise that "Marty" was an inspiration for "Only the Lonely". Like that 1955 Best Picture Oscar winner, this Chris Columbus comedy concerned itself with the romantic yearnings of a lonely schlub (Candy) who believed true love would always evade him. And just like Ernest Borgnine in "Marty," Candy won the hearts of audiences with his empathetic performance.

Starring as Danny Muldoon, Candy played a Chicago cop still living with his overbearing Irish mother, Rose (Maureen O'Hara, who came out of retirement for the role). After meeting a mousy funeral home cosmetician (Ally Sheedy), they fall for each other, much to the consternation of his mom.

"Only the Lonely" was just as old-fashioned and nostalgic as the Roy Orbison song that supplied its title. But what made it really special was Candy's performance as a sweet natured goof doing his best to make the two women in his life happy. Watching the movie today, it makes you wish there had been dozens of romantic comedies starring this lovable character. Thankfully, we got at least one.

2. Splash (1984)

After a string of memorable bit roles, Candy had a major breakthrough with Ron Howard's fantastical romantic comedy. Sure, Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah were the main attraction, but Candy stole every scene he was in, with a juicy supporting part that played to his unique talents.

Hanks played Allen Bauer, a New York fruit and vegetable salesman who keeps drowning in Cape Cod, only to be saved by a literal mermaid (Hannah) each time. When the mermaid fell in love with Allen and followed him back to the city — sprouting legs to follow him around on land — the delightful story played out in surprising, crowd-pleasing ways.

Candy was cast as Allen's womanizing brother, Freddie, making the most of a role that would help shape his comedic persona as a lovable oaf. Even critics like Roger Ebert, who decidedly did not like this movie , couldn't help but be charmed by his performance. ( Other reviewers were much more favorable .)

1. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

"Oh, he's drunk. How would he know where we're going?" 

"I have two dollars ... and a Casio."

"The last thing I want to be remembered as is an annoying blabbermouth."

Proving once again that John Candy might have the highest quote-to-movie-role ratio in comedy history, John Hughes' "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" tops the list of Candy classics — and for many, comedies in general.

Looking back now, it's a shame Candy only made one movie with Steve Martin, because their chemistry in this film seems like it could have placed them alongside names like Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, Martin and Lewis or Hope and Crosby.

A classic screwball road comedy, "Automobiles" utilized each actor's comedic strengths while also tapping into their inherent humanity. With Martin cast as Neal Page (a buttoned-down businessman desperately trying to get from New York to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his family) and Candy counterbalancing him as Del Griffith (an over-eager, ramshackle shower curtain ring salesman who latches onto his journey home, only to endear himself in the most annoying of ways),the film was a funny and touching holiday classic that still deserves at least one annual watch every holiday season.

There are too many masterful comedy moments to count (most notably when the two share a bed together and find Del's hand isn't actually between two pillows), but what really made this film an all-timer was the generous amount of heart added to the laughs. As Del's loving spirit gradually chipped away at Neal's cynicism, it all built to a genuinely moving finale showing off the very best of Candy's screen persona: goofy, clumsy, and above all else, lovable. 

You can't help but watch "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" with a perpetual smile slapped on your face, even when the ending (and perhaps, thoughts of John Candy's all-too-brief movie career) tugs at your heartstrings.

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Candyman takes an incisive, visually thrilling approach to deepening the franchise's mythology -- and terrifying audiences along the way.

The 2021 Candyman may not be as scary as the original, but it expands the story in ways that fans of the franchise should enjoy.

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John candy's 10 best movies, according to rotten tomatoes.

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It's hard to believe that 25 years have eclipsed since John Candy passed away at the age of 43. The world of cinematic comedy certainly took a hit with his premature passing in 1994, as very few comedic actors had his talent and unique qualities.

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Not only was he genuinely funnier than most of his contemporaries, but he also imbued a jolly and jovial warmth devoid of the kind of snark and cynicism most comedians rely on. Simply put, Candy was sweet as can be! To honor the legendary comedic actor, here are his best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes!

Home Alone (1990) 65%

While Candy has what could be considered an extended cameo in Home Alone , his ties to the picture run much deeper. First off, the film was written by Candy's longtime friend and frequent collaborator, John Hughes, and co-starred his longtime SCTV partner, Catherine O'Hara!

In fact, the trivia goes even further. Remember that in Home Alone , Candy played a polka-playing fellow who was kind enough to give Mrs. McAllister a ride home from the airport. Well, this is a direct reference to the 1985 film The Last Polka , which starred both Candy and O'Hara.

The Silent Partner (1978) 67%

Although Candy didn't become a household name until the mid-80s or so, it's worth noting he'd been kicking around Hollywood well over a decade until he hit the big time. One early title in his film canon includes a solid heist picture called The Silent Partner .

The plot concerns a nervous bank teller who, in anticipation of a robbery, steals the money himself to avoid harm. When the thief realizes he's been duped, he sets out to obtain the cash from the teller any way he can.

The Rescuers Down Under (1990) 69%

In one of the rare times lending his voice to an animated feature, Candy added a little comic relief as Wilbur in the Disney family film, The Rescuers Down Under .

The plot of the film revolves around Bernard (Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), two R.A.S. Agents tasked with traveling to Australia to rescue an endangered golden eagle from a greedy poacher. Candy plays Wilbur, a droll albatross named after aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright. While failing at the box-office, this is the first 100 percent digital feature film ever constructed.

Cool Runnings (1993) 76%

While Disney's The Rescuers Down Under failed to strike gold at the box-office, Candy more than atoned for such with the mouse house's global smash-hit, Cool Runnings , just three years later.

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Candy is perfectly cast in this warmhearted and uplifting tale of unlikely athletic success. As the disgraced coach of a Jamaican bobsled team vying for Olympic glory, Irv (Candy) motivates his ragtag crew of novice sledders to become a competitive force. The hilarious fish-out-of-water story is a light, breezy, feelgood, and best of all, true story!

JFK (1991) 84%

In just a brief bit of screen-time, Candy shows a different side of his acting aplomb in Oliver Stone's JFK . Rather than his typical jolly and avuncular attitude, Candy plays mirthless sweaty southerner Dean Andrews Jr., a New Orleans attorney brought in for questioning during the trial of Clay Shaw (Tommy Lee Jones).

Of course, the entire film plays as one large conspiracy theory positing that multiple shooters were responsible for John F. Kennedy's assassination. Despite a mega-ensemble, Candy finds a way to stand out more than most.

Stripes (1981) 86%

Who can forget Candy's turn as Ox, the dimwitted, hot-tempered, poker-hustling, mud-wrestling G.I. in the classic war-comedy, Stripes ? Yeah, nobody!

Ivan Reitman 's hilarious film about John Winger (Bill Murray) and Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis), two wayward slackers who enlist in the army after reaching a dead-end in life, directly led to Ghostbusters , three years later. As Ox, Candy shows both a soft side and a hardened demeanor. As such, Candy was originally slated to play Louis Tully in Ghostbusters, but was too busy filming Splash to do so.

Splash (1984) 90%

Speaking of Splash , Candy gives one of his most well-rounded performances as Freddie Bauer, the hysterical womanizing brother of Allen (Tom Hanks), a lovelorn bachelor who falls for a mystical mermaid!

The Ron Howard film proved so successful, both critically and commercially, that the careers of all involved shot up like a rocket immediately afterward. Unfortunately, Hanks and Candy failed to recreate the success one year later with the oft-forgotten Volunteers .

Little Shop Of Horrors (1986) 90%

As per usual when he isn't the lead star (see Vacation ), Candy absolutely hijacks his single scene as Weird Wink Wilkinson in Little Shop of Horrors . Even weirder, Candy shares the scene with Rick Moranis, who replaced him as Louis Tully in Ghostbusters, two years prior!

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When Seymour Krelborn (Moranis) obtains a singing, dancing, foul-mouthed Venus flytrap that grows at a rapid rate upon feeding on human blood, he becomes the talk of the town. When he is interviewed about the plant, he meets Wink Wilkinson, a hammy radio personality who can't contain himself.

Planes, Trains And Automobiles (1987) 91%

Candy has never given a more bittersweet, emotionally moving performance in his entire career than as Del Griffith in Planes, Trains and Automobiles . The final shot of the film alone is enough to give you genuine chills!

John Hughes' uproarious road-comedy is about the least likely of odd couples, Del and Neal Page (Steve Martin), on a cross-country mission to attend Thanksgiving dinner at the latter's home. The two men can't stand each other at first, with Del receiving the brunt of Neal's ire. Yet, through a harrowing journey, the two men grow closer and forge an honest friendship.

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) 93%

Candy doesn't even appear until the final 10 minutes of National Lampoon's Vacation , and yet no one can forget his indelible turn as the whiny security guard taken hostage by a postal Clark Griswold. No one!

When the Griwold's disastrous cross-country road trip to Wally World ends with a park closure for maintenance, the head of the family goes absolutely berserk. Clark (Chevy Chase) buys a pellet-gun, holds the terrified Lasky (Candy) hostage, and demands he take his family on all the closed theme park rides. Fun fact: the film was directed by Harold Ramis, Candy's co-star in Stripes !

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• National Lampoon's Vacation